PARAGOULD (AP) — Defense attorneys for a man accused of killing a Trumann police officer sought to remove the death penalty from consideration because of a recent state Supreme Court ruling.

But Circuit Judge Brent Davis ruled justices didn’t negate the death penalty — only the procedure for carrying it out.

That means Jerry D. Lard, 37, of Trumann still faces a possible death sentence if convicted of the April 12, 2011, shooting death of officer Jonathan Schmidt. He’s also charged with attempted capital murder in wounding Sgt. Corey Overstreet.

Lard will stand trial on July 16. The case was moved to Greene County on a change of venue from Poinsett County.

The state Supreme Court ruled June 22 a 2009 act by the Legislature giving the director of the Department of Correction the ability to decide the chemical formula for lethal injection was unconstitutional.

Teri Chambers, one of Lard’s court-appointed defense attorneys, argued that the Supreme Court’s decision invalidated the death penalty.

“What’s the point of having a death penalty trial when you have no method of execution?” Chambers asked.

Greene County Deputy Prosecutor Andrew Fulkerson argued that death by lethal injection was authorized by a 1983 statute, which has previously been upheld by the Supreme Court.

Davis agreed with Fulkerson’s interpretation of last week’s ruling.

“It doesn’t prevent the state from proceeding with a death penalty case,” the judge said. “It does not prevent the court from imposing the punishment.”

Davis said he would issue a written order later on defense efforts to prevent prosecutors from showing the jury dash-cam video of the shooting.

Lard was a passenger in a car that Schmidt had stopped for a traffic violation at Pine Avenue near an apartment complex. The driver was arrested on misdemeanor warrants. When Schmidt learned Lard’s identity, the officer attempted to arrest him on a rape warrant, court documents indicate.

Police alleged that Lard got out of the car and shot Schmidt in the face at very close range.

He then fired several shots at Overstreet and in the direction that Schmidt ran, following both officers with gun in hand, investigators said.

Defense attorneys contend the graphic nature of the video would be prejudicial to their client.

The public was ordered out of the courtroom as Davis reviewed multiple videos recorded from the two officers’ cars.

The judge also ordered prosecutors to provide him with information regarding what they would like to reveal to the jury from Department of Human Services files about Lard and his family members, including his children.

That information must be provided to Davis under seal so that the public can’t see it, he said.

A final pre-trial hearing is scheduled for July 13. Jury selection will begin July 16.